Boomers, Gen Z, Or Millennials: Who Is Hitting Fast Food Drive-Thrus Multiple Times A Day?

There are many reasons to choose drive-thru over dine-in. Like, when you want to eat your meal at home while streaming the latest episode of "The Diplomat." Or if you're too rushed for a sit-down meal. But regardless of why you opt for drive-thru dinner or what annoying habits you might have when you do so, people of certain ages often make more of a habit of getting their meal to go than others — and in some cases, multiple times a day.

According to a report by the National Restaurant Association (shared by QSR magazine), Gen Z and millennials are tied for the lead when it comes to the generation that is most likely to hit up a drive-thru, with ⅔ of respondents from both generations claiming weekly drive-thru trips. It's worth 4% of both generations also visit drive-thrus multiple times daily, though just 1% of Gen Xers and 0.5% of boomers get their food from a drive-thru more than once per day. However, millennials (9%) surpass Gen Z (8%) in terms of pulling up to the drive-thru one time per day.

It would seem that as restaurant-goers increase in age, so does their lack of interest in drive-thru dining. Older generations were far less likely to be seen at a drive-thru than their younger counterparts. In fact, 15% of boomers and 10% of Gen Xers said they never go to a drive-thru at all (as opposed to 5% for millennials and 4% for Gen Z), while 12% of boomers and 6% of Gen Xers drive thru just once or twice a year.

Now we know which age groups have a particular affinity for drive-thrus, but what drive-thru spots are people frequenting? Is it Taco Bell because it's so speedy? Does everyone avoid the McDonald's drive-thru because of those infuriating ads?

On Reddit, the Wendy's drive-thru was one of the most popular destinations. "I love Wendy's. I ... have the app, and have the free frosty key chain!" posted one person. Culver's was another favorite, with people citing its burgers, fish sandwich, and overall food quality as reasons to hit its drive-thru. "They make your food to order and run it out to your car piping hot!" commented another Redditor. Sonic was also mentioned several times as a top drive-thru, though not everyone agreed. "Sonic near me is ridiculous. Literally watched half an NFL game waiting in line," wrote one person.

Of course, Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Chick-fil-A also made the list. One person complimented the quickness of the McDonald's drive-thru by noting, "Sometimes when my local McDs has both windows open, at the second window they're already holding my bag out so I can just do this grab bag thank you drive-by without even stopping lol." Other popular drive-thru options were In-N-Out Burger, Popeyes, KFC, and Raising Cane's, as well as Starbucks and Panda Express.

Finally, some people will go to most any drive-thru offering convenience and perks. "The best one is the one that's still open at 2AM when you're getting a ride home from the bars," observed one poster. "Favorite is the one with the best coupon," wrote another Redditor. And the drive-thru to avoid? "Any place that forgets the sauce," opined a third.